| Object ID |
1975.830 |
| Object Name |
Pitcher |
| Dimensions |
H-11.25 Dia-7.5 inches |
| Early Date |
1853 |
| Late Date |
1858 |
| Made By |
United States Pottery Company |
| Description |
The Bennington hound-handled pitcher was designed by Daniel Greatbach, grandson of William Greatbach an assciate of the well-known Wedgwood Pottery in England. Daniel arrived in America about 1839, became chief designer and modeler for the American Pottery Manufacturing Company in Jersey City, New Jersey, and, while there, designed a hound-handled pitcher, possibly the first in America. By 1852 Greatbach was a resident of Bennington and chief designer for the United States Pottery Company where he designed a second hound-handled pitcher. Greatbach worked at the United States Pottery until 1858 at which time he left to establish another pottery in Kaolin, Georgia with Christopher Webber Fenton and Decius Clark.
The hound or dog-handled pitcher was made in large numbers by the United States Pottery Company and after it closed was produced by the E. and L. P. Norton Pottery in four sizes until at least 1867. While no longer common, these pitchers are in many public and private collections and can still be found in antique shops today. The dog, as modeled by Daniel Greatbach, has a chain collar, a sharp keel-like shape on the underside, and stylized hind quarters which form the lower part of the handle. In addition, the dog's nose usually touches the forepaws which grasp the rim, and prominent ribs can be felt, if not seen, under the glaze. No other hound pitcher made by other firms, and there are many, is identical to the Bennington hound. The chain collar is a particularly important characteristic for identification.
Scroddled ware has always been the scarcest ware produced by the United States Pottery. Wedging or combining two colors of clay together, then pressing into molds created a veining effect which permeated the entire piece. Scroddled ware was therefore not only time consuming and expensive, but also difficult to make into sets which were well matched. In addition, when used for figural pieces such as toby pitchers, the facial features became lost among to veining.
The hound-handled pitcher shown here is the only one known in scroddled ware and the ice strainer over the spout is a rare detail on any Bennington pitcher. |
| Credit |
Gift of Mrs. George Van Santvoord |
|
